Monday, October 5, 2009

BACK FROM ARIZONA

"Red Rock Study" 6"x8' oil/c

This should actually be called the "Study That Almost Wasn't" because I gotrun off three times before I was able to finallyset up and paint. West of Albuquerque andbefore you get to Gallup, NM there are thesewonderful red rock mountains that run alongthe highway for about twenty miles. I'm sureJohn Wayne has spent a movie or two onlocation here.

I set up once and got run off by anolder gentleman yelling Spanish at me.I don't speak the language but I knew hewasn't happy with my presence soI packed up my gear and left. I tried toignore the mountains and painting potential,but couldn't so I pulled over and set up againon a little side road. Wasn't long beforeanother pick up truck pulled up andstopped a few feet from where I was painting.

The driver got out of his truck, spit atthe ground and mumbled somethingunder his breath as he approached mylocation. "Gotta gun?" he asked."No" I replied. "Ain't safe to be hereif you don't have a gun. If I was youI'd mosey on." Sounded like good adviceso I packed up my gear a second timeand "mosied" on down the highwaysome more.

Unable to ignore the red rocks I gotabout three miles down the road andpulled into a rest stop figuring thiswould be a safe place to paint from.I was wrong. I had just put down my firstred wash when a highway patrolmanpulls up, red and blue lights flashing.Same story...third verse. I packed up againand off down the road I went.

Finally, just before reaching Gallup Ifound a secluded spot off the highway undera tree. Twenty minutes later I hadmy very first red rock mountain painting.I went on to produce 18 paintings over fourdays at Canyon De Chelly to go withthree paintings from Palo Duro Canyonand a couple of grain elevators I foundoutside of Amarillo, Texas. Iwill be posting most of the paintingshere over the next week.

3 comments:

Yikes! Sounds like a scene out of "No Country for Old Men." I admire your persistence and risking your life for our visual pleasure! My parents are snowbirding down there this summer so I will keep these valuable lessons in mind. Looking forward to seeing the work and welcome back to blogland. /Lee

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My history

Landscapes are my passion but an occassional still life will capture my imagination.
I was born in Texas, lived here all my life. I've imagined living in Colorado or Arizona, but my heart and soul is Texan through and through.
I hold a Masters degree in medical illustration and am a Fellow of the Association of Medical Illustrators. Medical illustration is a highly technical, skills intensified occupation where education through illustration is the driving force behind every painting. Nowadays everything is digital and I work mostly in Photoshop. Getting into my studio to push oil paint around is a blessing.